Why Uk and US pet stores should do better

Maz

Maz

Administrator
Staff member
Moderator and Admin
Messages
18,116
Reaction score
35,854
Points
1,373
Apparently, in Germany, pet stores have reasonably large enriched enclosures, with only one hamster per enclosure and they don't sell hamsters before 4pm because they sleep during the day. And next to each tank is a sign saying the minimum enclosure needs to be 100 x 50.

Uk and US pet stores could do this, and should do better.
 
Last edited:
Maz said:
Apparently, in Germany, pet stores have reasonably large enriched enclosures, with only one hamster per enclosure and they don't sell hamsters before 4pm because they sleep during the day. And next to each tank is a sign saying the minimum enclosure needs to be 100 x 50.

Uk pet stores could do this, and should do better.
Click to expand...
It would be nice to see this in the US, too.
 
Thank you - and I've edited the post and title to say Uk and US stores could do better! I'm sure other countries as well.
 
They also have special lighting to keep the hamsters day and night cycles.
 
I'm not entirely surprised since Germany seems to be at the cutting edge with hamster care, but at the same time, wow! That's incredible that stores are actually acting on best practice when it's so easy for them to just focus on profits.
 
It is good isn't it? I'm trying to find out where they get their hamsters from and whether the stores use ethical breeders or not.
 
Not all German pet shops do that sadly. Some are just as bad as the ones we have here. I know the one you are referring to and they do look much better then pet shops usually do.

What I would like from pet shops, is for them to sell hamster things but no actual hamsters. I think selling animals is an outdated and unethical practice and I would so love this to be banned. They will never be happy in that kind of environment and people can buy them on impulse.
 
RainbowBrite said:
Not all German pet shops do that sadly. Some are just as bad as the ones we have here. I know the one you are referring to and they do look much better then pet shops usually do.

What I would like from pet shops, is for them to sell hamster things but no actual hamsters. I think selling animals is an outdated and unethical practice and I would so love this to be banned. They will never be happy in that kind of environment and people can buy them on impulse.
Click to expand...
Yes, one look at the classified ads confirms that. So many say " needs gone ASAP". That pet has become unwanted as he or she was most likely bought on a whim without doing research or planning 😕
 
Maz said:
It is good isn't it? I'm trying to find out where they get their hamsters from and whether the stores use ethical breeders or not.
Click to expand...
I'm very interested in knowing where Socks came from. I often wonder what his life was like before he came here.
 
It's great that that are promoting the understanding that hamsters are nocturnal animals. The issue is that they may be nocturnal, but they still need appropriate affection and attention from their carers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Socks is not a great one for cuddles, but he comes over to the bars to make contact and to request play pen outings, which I ghink are absolutely necessary for his well being.
 
RainbowBrite said:
Not all German pet shops do that sadly. Some are just as bad as the ones we have here. I know the one you are referring to and they do look much better then pet shops usually do.

What I would like from pet shops, is for them to sell hamster things but no actual hamsters. I think selling animals is an outdated and unethical practice and I would so love this to be banned. They will never be happy in that kind of environment and people can buy them on impulse.
Click to expand...
I agree that hamsters should not be sold in shops. You wouldn't buy a dog in a shop. Although at one time pet shops did used to sell all sorts, including puppies I think. Our local pet shop no longer sells animals, and only sells supplies. Which is better. Our first hamster, Charlie came from there. He wasn't an impulse purchase though - we went in there to find a hamster. They usually had one or two and said they had their own breeder they used. The hamsters all seemed large and healthy (Charlie was very large!). It's where I went back to when we wanted another hamster but by then they had stopped selling animals, which is probably a good thing as although some smaller, independent pet shops might be better and more ethical, sometimes the hamsters can sit there for quite some time. The last hamster I saw in there was a little girl who was black and white and I can remember watching her. She was just in a tank with wood shavings (not big enough so again a good reason for them to stop selling pets) and she piled all the wood shavings into a big mountain at one side, made a hole in the top and used to walk back and forth between her food bowl and the mountain and disappear down the hole. In a very neat and organised fashion. I went in there a few times and saw her and really wanted to get her but it was straight after our first hamster died and it was just too soon for me at the time. When the pet shop had cleaned her out, she used to rebuild her mountain again and start her little journey again - back and forth. She was so sweet. I had a break until we got our second hamster though.

They should only be available from accredited breeders and a system in place for crediting breeders as safe and to a certain standard. Unfortunately I am not sure that would stop back street breeding unless someone like the RSPCA was vigilant about tracking them down.
 
Maz said:
I agree that hamsters should not be sold in shops. You wouldn't buy a dog in a shop. Although at one time pet shops did used to sell all sorts, including puppies I think. Our local pet shop no longer sells animals, and only sells supplies. Which is better. Our first hamster, Charlie came from there. He wasn't an impulse purchase though - we went in there to find a hamster. They usually had one or two and said they had their own breeder they used. The hamsters all seemed large and healthy (Charlie was very large!). It's where I went back to when we wanted another hamster but by then they had stopped selling animals, which is probably a good thing as although some smaller, independent pet shops might be better and more ethical, sometimes the hamsters can sit there for quite some time. The last hamster I saw in there was a little girl who was black and white and I can remember watching her. She was just in a tank with wood shavings (not big enough so again a good reason for them to stop selling pets) and she piled all the wood shavings into a big mountain at one side, made a hole in the top and used to walk back and forth between her food bowl and the mountain and disappear down the hole. In a very neat and organised fashion. I went in there a few times and saw her and really wanted to get her but it was straight after our first hamster died and it was just too soon for me at the time. When the pet shop had cleaned her out, she used to rebuild her mountain again and start her little journey again - back and forth. She was so sweet. I had a break until we got our second hamster though.

They should only be available from accredited breeders and a system in place for crediting breeders as safe and to a certain standard. Unfortunately I am not sure that would stop back street breeding unless someone like the RSPCA was vigilant about tracking them down.
Click to expand...
What a sweet little girl. I hope she was bought by somebody who gave her a loving home.

I remember when dogs were sold in pet shops and it was awful. I do not think any animals should be sold in pet shops. They are not kept in correct conditions and it is a stressful environment for them. The big chains use rodent mills which I think is absolutely disgusting and they should not exist at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Maz said:
I agree that hamsters should not be sold in shops. You wouldn't buy a dog in a shop. Although at one time pet shops did used to sell all sorts, including puppies I think. Our local pet shop no longer sells animals, and only sells supplies. Which is better. Our first hamster, Charlie came from there. He wasn't an impulse purchase though - we went in there to find a hamster. They usually had one or two and said they had their own breeder they used. The hamsters all seemed large and healthy (Charlie was very large!). It's where I went back to when we wanted another hamster but by then they had stopped selling animals, which is probably a good thing as although some smaller, independent pet shops might be better and more ethical, sometimes the hamsters can sit there for quite some time. The last hamster I saw in there was a little girl who was black and white and I can remember watching her. She was just in a tank with wood shavings (not big enough so again a good reason for them to stop selling pets) and she piled all the wood shavings into a big mountain at one side, made a hole in the top and used to walk back and forth between her food bowl and the mountain and disappear down the hole. In a very neat and organised fashion. I went in there a few times and saw her and really wanted to get her but it was straight after our first hamster died and it was just too soon for me at the time. When the pet shop had cleaned her out, she used to rebuild her mountain again and start her little journey again - back and forth. She was so sweet. I had a break until we got our second hamster though.

They should only be available from accredited breeders and a system in place for crediting breeders as safe and to a certain standard. Unfortunately I am not sure that would stop back street breeding unless someone like the RSPCA was vigilant about tracking them down.
Click to expand...
Hopefully things are moving that way. Even keeping rodents in petshops for weeks and months can't be good for them in any way unfortunately.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
I'm trying to remember now as it was a long time ago. I think when I next went there and they no longer sold pets, that one of the owners had kept her themselves. But I have never forgotten her and watching her careful habits. Seeing this little face pop out from a hole on top of a mountain. It was quite clear she was creating something that wasn't provided for.
 
Socks Mum said:
Hopefully things are moving that way. Even keeping rodents in petshops for weeks and months can't be good for them in any way unfortunately.
Click to expand...
California has banned pet stores from selling animals and I believe New York is currently heading that way. However there is a kind of proviso that the stores are supposed to work with rescues and are allowed to house animals for adoption, and there are concerns this may be misused by commercial breeders. Although I can't see the benefit to a commercial breeder if the hamsters are basically free (but maybe there is an adoption fee?).

www.chugh.com

Chugh, LLP - Attorneys & CPAs

Chugh, LLP - Attorneys & CPAs. Trusted legal services specializing in Tax Consultation, Business Law, Litigation, and Family Law. Connect with us for reliable guidance.
www.chugh.com www.chugh.com
 
That is good! An example of good pet store, should provide the information and teach the adopters how to handle and provide pet's living habits.

Unfortunately, in here we have a lot unethical breeder rather than ethical breeder. Some breeder put around 20 or 30 hamsters in the same place with a tank size around 40 x 50cm. Some of the breeeder also have more small enclosure maybe the size same as fuel gallon. They are selling hamsters as the cheapest pet everyone could have. The amount of hamsters and the amount of people does proper care doesn't match up. Hopefully, we have more people who does proper care here and not follows those pet store who gives advice to "put hamster in jail cages is enough".
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
It's hard isn't it? It takes governments and laws to improve things I think.
 
Maz said:
It's hard isn't it? It takes governments and laws to improve things I think.
Click to expand...
Yeah i felt like wow, a lot of people doesn't think this small pets also have a soul and emotional feeling. Goverment regulation is so helpful in this case, however it will take a long way to make it happen in here. For now, it depends on the human initiative and also influencers can be a help to make them realize their mistakes.
 
Change is coming very slowly my local garden centre/pet shop dosent sell the small plastic type of cages anymore questionares have to be filled in and they have posters given the minimum size cages it's a start I suppose also all of the livestock sold there is in appropriate housing with lots of enrichment
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top